Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 Pro Reviews

In summary, you only really want to be considering the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT4 if you do actually need the extra on-board protection and so peace of mind it offers with any regularity, as you are paying something of a premium. Like the FT4 itself, there’s little new in that.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT4 is similar in many ways to its predecessor, the FT3, with a few tweaks to some of the features found. You get good image quality, a solid body and more although we'd like to see a slightly larger screen and panoramas with a little more detail. If it's all about picture quality for you, you can find it in cheaper cameras, but for those active, outdoors photographers, the extra features are bound to appeal.

Owners of the Panasonic Lumix TS3 looking to upgrade for better photo quality or shooting performance should probably pass on the Lumix DMC-TS4. The design is the same, too, and it's just as rugged. Now, that doesn't mean new buyers shouldn't consider it. It still produces very good photos and movies for its class and it's a quick camera as well. Plus, the new shooting options make it an overall attractive package.

The world of rugged compact cameras is transformed from where it once was, and as such the consumer is within their right to demand far greater performance, both in rugged conditions and in general use. The FT series from Panasonic was one of the first to really pull off the trick of combining usability with a rugged specification, and this is also true with the FT4. This isn't, however, to say that the FT4 is without fault - improvements on the previous model in the series, the FT3, are noticeable by their absence. As a result, you'll really have to want the changes to warrant paying the extra for the new FT4 as opposed to the FT3. All told though, it remains a worthy figurehead for Panasonic's impressive FT series and one of the best lifeproof cameras on the market.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT4 is a creme egg of a camera; unless there's plenty of light around to make the best of the fact that this is basically a snapshot camera in wolf's clothing, image quality is soft in comparison to the rock hard exterior. Still, there is the potential to have a lot of fun with it and go where lesser snappers fear to tread.

Rarely has an upgrade seemed as if merely the model number has changed while everything else has stayed the same, so owners of the FT3 needn’t feel a need to rush for this “upgrade”. But where does it sit in the current market? Well, recent rivals to Panasonic’s FT4 include the Nikon’s AW100 and Coolpix S30, plus the Olympus TG-320, Canon D20, and Fujifilm XP50, to name a mere handful. While the FT4’s feature set puts it at the top end of those, the asking price of around £355, at the time of writing, is similarly high. However while this was the figure showing on Amazon, Panasonic UK told us the price was still being finalised. As the older, largely identical FT3 is still listed on Panasonic’s own e-shop at £329, we’d hazard a guess it’s probably not far from the truth. In summary, despite the FT4’s rugged claims, this is a camera more for taking out in all weathers with a reasonable amount of confidence rather than throwing at rocks or going scuba diving with – in other words intentional punishment. Still, there is the potential here for a bit of fun if you can justify the expense – plus it is still one of the coolest-looking tough cameras out there.